Top tips for fostering with pets

Nicky is a single foster carer. She has always wanted to be a mum but never felt the desire to have a child of her own. When she met foster carers at the gym where she worked, she began to explore if fostering was something she could do. Her work was flexible and she had the time and space to give a young person a safe, happy and stable home. What she didn’t realise at the time was just how instrumental her pets would be in her fostering journey.

Pets can play a vital role in any household. They can provide physical and mental health benefits, such as reduced blood pressure, lower anxiety, and increased comfort. In a fostering household, they can also provide a child who has experienced trauma with comfort, connection and unconditional love.

Nicky and her foster child share their home with four dogs (two Labradors, a Cocker Spaniel, and a Cockapoo), a tortoise, and a goldfish. Nicky explained that the bond between her foster child and her pets has been transformative, “When I met my foster child, almost 6 years ago, I knew he loved animals. But he was not used to being around such big dogs and was a bit scared at the start. He quickly realised that they were kind and caring. Now he loves them just as much as I do.”

“With pets you get that sensory aspect. You’ve got that sense of happiness and that unconditional love that they give you. When my foster child arrived, he didn’t really know how to display affection. He struggled with things like hugs. The dogs have really helped him. Nothing needs to be said; children don’t need to worry about finding the right words. There is just a quiet faith that a dog will be there, offering comfort and closeness.”

Caring for pets can also be valuable for teaching life skills. Nicky said: "Pets can teach you responsibility and confidence. My foster child has a goldfish, and he knows to feed it every morning. He loves outdoors so he also helps me walk the dogs. The structure of caring for the dogs and the routine it gives him has been so beneficial.”

We know that pets can be a great source of comfort, support and a calming influence to foster children. But we also have to ensure children and young people will be safe. As part of your fostering assessment, we will explore the suitability and safety of any pets you own during one of our visits to your home.

Having a pet, such as a dog, can help children develop kindness, understanding and respect for living things. Pets can improve a child's social skills, while caring for a pet can encourage responsibility. When it comes to introducing a foster child to dogs in the household, Nicky provided some top tips to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

Introductions

There needs to be an introduction; you must let the dogs, and the child, get accustomed to each other at their own pace. You need to monitor their progress and give them time to trust each other.

Set boundaries

You need to know your dog(s) and set boundaries accordingly. If a small child is all over an animal, and it becomes overwhelmed, you need to set boundaries to give your pet some space. It works both ways. Some children may be apprehensive around new animals or may not have shared a house with pets before. Until they’re comfortable, dogs may need to go to another room for a while to give children time and space to get used to them.

Provide explanations

Young people may not want to always go on walks. In those instances, it’s important to explain why exercise is important for pets. I explained that humans don’t want to sit and look at the same four walls every day, and it’s the same for dogs. We discussed why it was so important for the dogs to get outside and stretch their legs and smell different smells; it's exercise, but it is also their way to have fun. That made it much more relatable.

Adapt when needed

Sometimes you need to adapt your routine. If you’re caring for a young child, they may not be able to walk as far as your dogs are used to. Or there may be periods of time when they are unwell and are not able to get outside. In those instances, it is important to be flexible and consider how you can adapt your routines to meet the needs of everyone in the household.

For Nicky, fostering is one of the best things she has ever done. “I think it is the most amazing thing to give a child a home; especially one filled with the love, support and care a child needs. The support at Action for Children Fostering is phenomenal. There is always someone at the end of the phone to talk to if you are unsure of anything.”

Find our more about fostering with pets.